The United States has withdrawn its ambassador to Zambia following a row with authorities in the southern African nation after he criticized the jailing of a gay couple, embassy sources said on Monday. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said Washington is “dismayed” by the Zambian government’s statement that Ambassador Daniel Foote’s position “is no longer tenable.” “Despite this action, the United States remains committed to our partnership with the Zambian people,” the spokesperson said. “We seek an open and frank relationship of mutual respect, commensurate with the generous aid provided to the Zambian people by the United States.”